Certain types of mouthwash, as well as nasal and oral antiseptic cogs, have been found to potentially ‘inactivate’ those that have a SARS-Covy-2 virus-like structure behind COVID-19. The research came from Penn University where researchers evaluated various oral and nasal rinses and mouthwash, which found that some could inactivate 99.9 percent of human coronavirus in 30 seconds.
The vaccine will change the COVID-19 related landscape, but we still have a few months from such treatment, at best. Meanwhile, preventive measures such as wearing a mask and washing one’s hands regularly have helped prevent the spread of the virus, reducing the number of people who contract it. Certain mouthwash and antiseptic rinses can be a tool to add to the mix.
Doctors always use a 1-percent baby shampoo solution to rinse the sinuses; More than 99.9 percent of human coronaviruses were found to be inactive after these two minutes. Meanwhile, ‘many’ different gargle rinses and mouthwashes were found to be more than 99.9 percent inactivated by the virus after 30 seconds.
The findings suggest that using these preventive measures can reduce the viral load seen in one’s mouth and nasal cavity, potentially reduce the amount of virus and expose others – both the nose and mouth are the main sources of infection and entry for human coronavirus. The researchers noted.
Due to similar compositions, the study notes that these solutions can inactivate the SARS-CoV-2 virus, at the same time as the virus used in the study. Clinical studies will be the next step in determining whether these solutions actually reduce COVID-19 patients, especially viral load.
